Out of the Dark
by Arescynthea
Summary: This is about a young orphan girl who is best friends with Percy and Grover. She shares her secrets with them and they are her only friends. She has two little sisters who she must care for. She must provide a safe habitat while locking out the feelings that have been pushing her into the darkness for years.
1. Chapter 1

I sat on my window seat with the window open. The sun shone on the pages of my book and the wind rustled through my hair. I heard someone clambering up the fire escape. I looked up to see Percy stomping up the cold, metal steps. He leaned against the railing, peering over the streets below.

"What happened this time?" I asked Percy.

I had known Percy since we were born. We have the same birthday and he lives in the apartment below me. Now we were 11 and Percy was starting to really understand what his mom was going through being married to Gabe Ugliano, his stepfather. Personally I thought the name suited him perfectly, considering that he was ugly. Percy thought so too.

"He hit her again. When I tried to stop him, he threatened me. My mom would just stand in the way and take all the blows for me, if I did something. It could just make it worse."

"Percy." He turned toward me. I patted the seat next to me and he came over to sit down. I leaned my head against his shoulder. I thought about my foster parents. My foster "dad" hit me and my foster "mom" made me clean the apartment up, but they gave my little sisters and me, food and a warm place to sleep. My sisters, Macy and May, and I got to go to school also. I found all the classes too easy, so I took middle school classes online.

"I wish I could do something." I lifted my head and looked up at him. He and Grover were my only friends. Everyone else was afraid of me. It was probably because I wore darker colors and I am the strongest person in my grade (besides Percy who, again, can lift the same amount of weight as me). Percy was the only one that knows that I love neon colors.

"I wish I could do something for her too. I just don't think my foster parents would do a thing to help.

"AJ, I keep wondering why Mom would marry someone like Gabe. He's horrible! I wish he would just disappear. You know firsthand what it is like to be hit. It hurts." He said as he looked out over the city.

"Hey, guess what I just thought of!" Percy turned to me, his blue-green eyes flashing in the sunlight. (I would say they were sea colored. I mean it. They change colors with the sea. Trust me I've been to the beach with him.)

"What?" I said excitedly.

"Tomorrow is our birthday!" He smiled.

"It is! I can't wait for your mom's blue birthday cake!"

"AJ!" I heard my foster "mom" (if I can even call her a mom) yell. "Get in bed and go to sleep! You have lots of chores to do tomorrow!" She trilled.

"Ugh. I'll see you tomorrow, Percy."

"See ya, AJ!" Percy stood, waved, and jogged down the fire escape stairs.

I climbed into my bed, leaving the window open so I could feel the warm breeze. I stared out the window, up at the moon. My music from my IPod played in the background. I heard the song Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy. It reminded me of Percy. I wondered if he thought about me as much as I thought about him. I fell asleep, those thoughts still swirling around in my mind, Almost Lover in the background.

I woke to the sound of the rain pitter-pattering on the roof. I picked up my IPod and slid it into my pocket. I walked to the window, about to close it, when I changed my mind and sat at the window seat instead. I reached a hand out the window into the cool rain. I turned off my music and went to the corner to pick up my real mom's old guitar. I went back to the widow and played a song I wrote myself. It was about Percy and Grover. I know it's weird, but they are my only friends, and they accepts me for who I am. Nobody else accepts me. The kids at my school shun me because I don't fit into any of their stereotypical groups. I don't sit at the popular table, nor the nerd table, or any of the other group tables. I was good at all the subjects in school (straight A+ student and always have been). I just don't fit with the nerds or the pops as Percy, Grover, and I call the popular people. I heard Percy call up to me and I soon saw him walking up the fire escape stairs to my seat in the window.

"That sounds great! Who wrote it?" He said immediately.

"I did."

"No way. I knew you were good, but not that good." He said.

"Thanks." I told him smiling.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He told me as he got up.

"See ya." I said, turning away. I looked up to make sure he was gone then pulled out my book.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. I own the song, so please don't copy!**

Percy's P.O.V.

AJ thought I didn't see her pull out the purple leather book. It had a small design that I couldn't recognize. She propped up the book against other books and opened it to a certain page. She pulled out a guitar pick from her pocket then began to play a song I had never heard before. It sounded really good, I knew that she must have written the song. I listened to the lyrics, wondering where she got the inspiration to write it. I heard:

Sittin' with you on my windowsill

Leaning my head on your shoulder

I told you everything

'Cause I knew you would listen

And when you talked

I held onto each word

Not knowing when

You might leave

Cause every time

I love someone

Like I love you

They always leave

Too much pain

'Cause I hold on for too long

Don't leave me behind

I don't want to be

A new notch in your belt

But what I want to know

Is, do you love me too?

Is do you love me too?

Is do you love me too?

Then she was done. She began to mess with different chords and lyrics to add to her song. I thought it was really good so I was wondering why she didn't share it with me. As I climbed through my window and climbed into my bed I thought about her lyrics. I was wondering who she was writing about. I knew I wouldn't leave her. Who would? She was pretty, and nice, and funny, once you got to know her. I wondered if she had me in mind when she wrote the song. No, not possible because she doesn't like me like that... does she?


	3. Chapter 3

AJ's P.O.V

Today is my birthday. Yippee. I am so happy to go another year without birthday presents or cake from my foster family.

"AJ, I have a gift for you! Come and see!" Tammy, my foster mom, trilled out.

I can't believe she would actually spend money on me! I ran out into the sleek, modern living room only to find my hopes being crushed. I am an idiot. I shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning. What was I thinking?

"Now clean all of this up." She pointed to a huge mess. It had wine glasses and half full beer bottles. There were broken bottles on the floor and wine, different alcoholic drinks, cheese, crumbs of bread, and grapes. They must have had a party last night. I don't know how many people they invited, but they must have gotten seriously drunk.

"It's not my mess!" I argued.

"What did you say?!" She screamed at me.

"I said, it's not my mess! If you want someone to clean it up, call up your drunk friends who were up all frickin night!" I yelled back.

"Watch your mouth! I said clean it up and if you don't, you better say goodbye to Macy and May!" She threatened.

Immediately I began to clean up. I could not lose them. I cut my hands on the broken glass, not that "Tammy" cared.

"Don't you dare get blood on my nice wine glasses!" She screeched at swooped down on me like a hawk. Her beady eyes watched my every move, boring into the back of my head.

I worked hard, trying not to break any glasses, but trying to hurry. Keyword: _trying_.When I finally finished, Tammy had already taken Lexi and Brooke, my foster sisters, to their preppy, private school, and Macy and May to their public school. I looked around the apartment for Michael, my foster dad, but he wasn't home. Hmmm... I'm in the apartment all alone. I switched on the TV and raided the fridge for junk food. That was when I heard Grover's and Percy's voice. They sounded frantic. Percy and Grover were supposed to be in school. Of course I was too, but my agreement with Tammy was that if I cleaned the house and did all the chores, my sisters got to go to school. Unfortunately, I wasn't included. The government didn't know about me, so it really didn't matter whether I went or not. But if Percy and Grover were supposed to be at school, what were they doing here? This could not be good.


	4. Chapter 4

Percy's P.O.V.

I had to get AJ. I couldn't leave her behind. I heard her song and knew that I could never leave her. I pulled a protesting Grover up the stairs behind me.

"We have to go, Percy!" Grover said frantically.

"I won't leave her! She's always been left behind before, so I can't let this happen!" I told him quickly. We got to AJ's window and I knocked on it. No answer. I pounded harder. Finally, AJ came to the window.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"We have to leave." Grover said, quickly cutting to the chase.

" Oh. So I guess this is goodbye." AJ said to me.

"Oh no. Lover boy here..."

"Hey!" I protested. "We're just friends!"

"Just had to have you come with us, so he used up valuable time coming up here and having a long talk with you. Come on! We'll have a nice, long chat in the car!" Grover sounded annoyed and rushed. AJ quickly grabbed her bag with her phone, her one extra pair of combat boots, a book, a toothbrush, toothpaste, flossers, and two changes of clothes.

"Let's go!" Grover shoved AJ and I down the fire escape. We got his message. Go faster. So we started to run faster. When we go to the bottom of the fire escape, we found my mom waiting for us in Gabe's car. We clambered into the car and just as Grover pulled the door shut, my mom put the metal pedal to the floor. We zoomed along the back roads, going faster and faster. That's when I saw the black shape zooming along behind us.


	5. Chapter 5

AJ's P.O.V.

I looked back to see what Percy was looking at. It did NOT look good. It was shriveled up and wrinkly. It looked like a monster, but that is impossible. Things like mythology and monsters aren't real.  
"Mrs. Jackson! They're gaining! We have to go faster!" Grover leaned forward. "Faster! Please!" He said.  
"Where are we going?" Asked Percy.  
"To a place where you will be safe!" Said Mrs. Jackson quickly. "Are they getting closer?" She asked.  
"Yes! They are going fa-Ahhhhhh!" I screamed as the thing, I guess monster, grabbed onto the back of the car and lifted up the back two wheels, but Mrs. Jackson kept trying to go faster.  
"Oh gods!" Yelled Grover.  
"Wait, what? Did you just say oh gods?" I yelled over the commotion.  
"No, oh god." Grover lied. He is a horrible liar.  
"Almost there!" Mrs. Jackson clenched the wheel harder.  
"Ahhhhhh!" All of us yelled as the car was thrown into the air. We started to spin. When the car finally landed, it fell on its hood.  
"Oh god." I said as I heard my wrist crack. "Is everyone okay?" I asked quickly.  
"We gotta go!" Grover yelled. "It is right up there! Get past Thalia's tree!"  
"Thalia's tree?" I asked.  
"The pine tree!" Grover said quickly. "Go! Percy and I will get Mrs. Jackson! Go get help!" He told me and so I turned and began to run up the hill. I pushed myself to go faster and faster. I looked back at the wreck. I saw the monster about to swoop down to snatch up Percy.  
"Look out!" I screamed. The monster looked up and saw me. It flapped its huge wings and came towards me. I turned to run, but I knew I wasn't going fast enough. Even though I was very fit, I couldn't outrun a creature if I was running up a hill. I felt the wind from its flapping wings. I knew it was too close. Suddenly I felt its talons rip into my jacket and scratch down my back. I felt pain searing into my body, but I ignored it. If I could distract this monster for a little longer, I could get to the top, get help, and hopefully save Percy, Mrs. Jackson, and Grover. I tripped and almost fell over, but I forged on. Just a little farther. Finally I was at the top.  
"Help!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I saw lights flicker on in a big house and other small houses. People came streaming out of the cabins and two people came out of the big house.  
"Hurry!" I said. People grabbed weapons and shields. They ran to fight the monster. Someone ran past me and I quickly pick-pocketed them. I took their combat knife. I looked for someone else who had about the same sized knife. I found one and quickly took their knife too. Then I ran to the monster. Immediately I began to look for the place where it's defenses would be weakest. I knew I needed to get on the back of the creature. I looked at the tail. It was long enough that I wouldn't get kicked by its back legs and it wouldn't be able to see me. I ran behind the creature, letting the other people distract the creature. I waited for the perfect moment, then I pounced. I grabbed on to the tail. Immediately the monster began to swing its tail trying to throw me off. I held on. I began to climb the tail. I was almost halfway to the creatures back when spikes shot out of its back. I managed to dodge a few, but one became lodged in my calf and one grazed grazed my shoulder.  
"Agh!" I yelled out, but I grabbed on to the creatures wrinkles to pull myself farther along. When I finally got onto the back of the creature, I had another spike stuck in my forearm. I could feel poison traveling through my veins, but I continued to try and find a chinch in the armor of the monster. When I didn't find one, I climbed onto the creatures head. I knew that soon the creature would roll over to squash me, so I tried to hurry. I got to the nose and I felt its jaw begin to open. I wondered how I could be so lucky. As its mouth opened to its full height, I pulled myself down into its mouth. I knew I only had one shot at this. I pulled out a knife and threw it straight up to the roof of its mouth. I covered my ears as it roared. I looked up and saw the roof of the creatures mouth getting closer. My eyes got wide and I turned to run. It wasn't easy because its mouth was slippery, but I moved along, adjusting to the slippery surface quickly. I got to its teeth. I looked back. Jump or be crushed. I decided to jump. I launched myself out of its mouth and I felt myself plummeting towards the ground. The air was ripped out of my lungs. I watched as the ground got closer and closer. I braced myself. All I felt was my ankles and legs cracking, and pain. Then I saw blackness.


	6. Chapter 6

Percy's P.O.V.

I didn't like what I saw at the top of the hill. AJ was lying on the ground with a spike sticking out of her calf, a spike sticking out of her forearm, and a huge gash on her shoulder that was leaking blood. She looked pale and her legs and wrist were bent at the wrong angle.

"Oh no." I muttered under my breath. "What happened?" I asked, but no one answered me.

"Somebody do something!" Said Grover who looked worried.

"Chiron is getting ambrosia and nectar." Said a husky, muscular, African American boy.

"Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods..." Grover started pacing and grabbed a tin can from some girls hand. He poured out the coke and ate the tin can nervously.

"Stop freaking out, Grover. She will be fine. Chiron will help her." Said a tall curly-haired, blonde girl. I knelt down next to AJ.

"We need to move her. We have to get inside the camp boundaries." Someone said.

"Annabeth, give Mrs. Jackson permission to enter camp." Grover said.

"I, Annabeth Chase, give you permission to enter camp." The blond girl said. Then Grover and I lifted AJ and carried her into the camp...thing.


End file.
